


The Road Goes Ever On And On

by PipGraham



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Brock Rumlow, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Amputee Bucky Barnes, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Omega Steve Rogers, Past Domestic Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Rated mature for non-sexy reasons, Roadtrip, War Veteran Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:27:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23499775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PipGraham/pseuds/PipGraham
Summary: When Brock's continued domestic abuse puts not only Steve's life in danger, but also that of his unborn pup, he flees into the night with just a small backpack of clothes and almost no money to his name.Steve quickly runs into trouble as he tries to embark on a 3-day cross-country bus journey back home to New York City.He meets a kind veteran when he most needs a helping hand.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Past Steve Rogers/Brock Rumlow
Comments: 115
Kudos: 772





	The Road Goes Ever On And On

Steve startled awake with a rattling cough.

It was the sort of primal scare that came from a lack of oxygen and a profound unsettling feeling of exposure. He was freezing, the cold floor in the barely heated apartment had long pulled the heat from his skin.

There wasn’t a sound, but Steve didn’t dare move until he was sure of it. His hand had moved up to cover his sore neck. He hadn’t seen the damage yet, but he knew there’d be deep angry bruises that would be impossible to cover up.

Brock had always been into ‘breath play’, but this time Steve truly felt like Brock hadn’t meant for him to wake up again.

In an odd way, it made sense to Steve. They had spiraled into such an endlessly worsening routine of violence and pain that Steve’s end was one of the very few possible conclusions. At least, Steve figured as he stroked his hand over the almost unnoticeable curve of his lower abdomen, it was Brock’s only way out.

Steve’s vision was blurred, and he felt like the floor was swimming away under him when he hoisted himself up, leaning heavily against the wall to keep his legs from crumbling under him, his wobbly knees felt as though they couldn’t bear his weight.

The awful discomfort of the cock cage Brock kept on him made Steve feel even more queasy than the nauseating pain between his legs.

He knew in his heart that if he was still here when Brock came back from wherever he’d run off to, he wouldn’t be so lucky as to wake up again.

Steve wasn’t even sure if he’d consider himself lucky now. Without Brock, what would he even do with himself? Who could he be without his Alpha?

As a pregnant unmated omega with no Alpha to grant him protection, he had next to no options, and Brock knew that.

He stroked the bump, breathing as deeply as he could do clear his head. Steve knew, deep down, that he had already made his choice.

He couldn’t leave the house like this though. He had to clean himself up, had to get rid of the blood first.

Steve stumbled into the shower, turning the water on as hot as it would go. Brock kept the flat underheated on purpose and boiler off, unless Brock himself wanted to shower. Steve wasn’t allowed to turn it on, his only chance for a warm shower came if he managed to get in right after Brock left.

The water was warm now, Brock had to have cleaned up after he had abandoned Steve on the bedroom floor.

Steve was already so cold; he didn’t think he could have taken a cold shower in this state. He washed and scrubbed himself as thoroughly as his shaking hands allowed, wincing when he had to brace himself to wash himself out.

No matter how much he wanted to feel clean, he didn’t dare take more than a few minutes to clean up, he had to go, and quickly or he might never have the chance again.

The key to the cage wasn’t in the nightstand when he checked, and Steve wanted to scream with frustration; he didn’t have time to search the place for a key that brock probably had in his wallet.

Steve got dressed quickly. These days, he didn’t have many clothes anymore, just a few changes of decent clothing suitable for the outside. He pulled on as many layers as he could comfortably manage without looking ridiculous. The rest, he stuffed into his one and only bag, a sturdy backpack that Brock had given him for doing the shopping. It was worn out from use, but it would do.

He shoved his spare clothes he knew he would need into the bag, alongside his ID that showed that he was omega born in the state of New York.

New York.

It was his only choice, wasn’t it? He didn’t know a single soul anywhere else in the world, especially not here in Seattle.

Whether any of his old friends wanted to see him was an entirely different matter. Would they hear him out after Brock had been so nasty to them? After the letters Brock had made Steve write over and over again until the words clearly spelled out that Steve never wanted to hear from them again?

Brock had personally posted them on their way out of New York City, when he’d taken Steve to Seattle with him and taken the SIM card out of Steve’s phone.

Seattle hadn’t brought the new life Brock had envisioned for them. On the contrary, it had been the exact same life, except Steve had had no one there, not even Brock’s old friends. There was no one to ask questions about the state of Steve’s face. Brock had never hit him in the face while they had lived in New York City. Once they had moved to Seattle, it seemed that he couldn’t stop it from happening.

Their first fight after the move had burst a dam Steve hadn’t been aware of.

These days, Steve didn’t have any fight left in him.

He stuffed his toiletries into the bag, mournfully throwing away his empty pack of used-up birth control pills that Brock had refused to replace for him three months ago. His Alpha hadn’t wanted to spend the money, and Steve hadn’t been able to bear the prospect of using up his emergency fund of stolen change that had taken him a year to build up. After years of health issues and irregular heats, Steve hadn’t thought he could get pregnant.

And here they were now.

Steve opened the vacuum cleaner bag compartment, pulling out the sock in which he kept the money he had squirreled away, and stowing it in the inner pocket of his backpack, where it couldn’t get lost.

After that, he didn’t give himself time to look around or stay any longer. Steve was terrified that he might get cold feet, or worse, that Brock would come home and catch him with his bag packed.

He pulled on his coat, accidentally catching a glance of himself in the hallway mirror by the front door. The bruises on his neck were almost black, the tissue around and under them swollen and sore.

Steve grabbed the only scarf that hung on the wardrobe hooks and wrapped it over the bruises, ignoring the fear inducing scent of his Alpha on the fabric.

His own scarf was somewhere in the bedroom, probably under the bed, and Steve couldn’t stand the thought of returning to that room. He was so close to being out.

Pulling the door open, he braced himself against the cold air and took off.

He wanted to run, to get away from the apartment building as quickly as he possibly could, but he didn’t have the energy. His lungs burned in the cold air and his body shivered with it. The apartment might have been underheated, but winter was in full swing and Steve was exhausted from the pain.

His fear was the only thing carrying him forward.

Steve thought of New York City, thought of spending warmer summer days in Central Park, sharing snacks with Sam on a picknick blanket as they watched Sam’s dog roll in the grass with joy.

Would Sam take him in if he went back?

Sam was a good person, a forgiving and kind Alpha. If not Sam, … well, if Sam didn’t take him in, Steve had nowhere to go.

He didn’t even know how he would find Sam. Steve didn’t remember his phone number, and even if he did, Sam might not have the same number anymore.

What were the odds of Sam still living at the same address? Steve wouldn’t get a chance to find out if he didn’t make it out of Seattle.

By the time he made it to the Greyhound bus terminal, he was shaking from the cold, his teeth chattering. His stomach was churning with a sickly mixture of nausea and hunger, but he didn’t dare stop anywhere along the way. He couldn’t risk using his money for food.

The thought of returning to New York had been on his mind for a while, or at least, the thought of getting away had been, but it had never manifested enough to look up ticket prices. If he didn’t have enough money, he’d be completely out of options. He didn’t have a cent to waste.

The night had turned pitch black around him, an icy quality to the air that reminded Steve of Christmas. He always loved snow, but he could only beg the powers that be to spare him any interference with the buses. If the buses got cancelled…. No! He couldn’t think like that. The ground was clear now, and it would be a while to arrive at cancellation-worthy amounts of snow, even if it started snowing right this instance.

He walked into the terminal, shivering at the comparative heat of the station air, it felt almost painful to breathe in the warmth after he’d been walking outside in the cold.

Steve braced himself mentally. He had to be brave now, brave and confident.

Squaring his shoulders, he walked up to the counter. “I need a ticket for the next bus towards New York City, please.” He said, making the lady behind the protective glass wall look up from the magazine she had been reading.

The bus terminal was relatively full, but it seemed that the other customers were all ready with their tickets. There had to be one or two buses that were departing soon.

The lady behind the counter eyed him with mild suspicion, looking first at his face, then his small omega frame, and then behind him at the obvious absence of a looming Alpha presence shadowing him.

“Just for you?” She asked, pulling up the booking screen on her computer.

“Yes, just me.” Steve confirmed, keeping his tone and demeanor nonchalant, as though he frequently crossed the country by bus.

“And your Alpha?” She asked.

“He’s already got his ticket.” The lie came out smooth and easy.

“Alright.” She clicked on something and looked down at her keyboard. Steve could see her typing out NYC with three slow fingers, clearly not familiar with the 10-finger typing method.

“The next one is at 11:45 PM. Is that the one your Alpha is on. You know you won’t be able to board if he isn’t with you.” She warned him.

Steve glanced at the departure board opposite the counter that he had missed when he had first entered the station. “The 11:45 to Spokane?” He asked, as if confirming it with her. “Yes, that’s the one.” He smiled.

“Alright. Quite the trip you two are taking. Three days. Phew!” She whistled through her teeth and mimed wiping her brow.

“Yeah. I know, but we’ve got to. You see, I can’t fly anymore.” Steve stroked the front of his jacket, glad for all the layers he was wearing. It was absolutely impossible to make out his shape underneath. By law, he could still fly, any omega could up to 3 months before the estimated due date. He couldn’t do it without an Alpha though. His ticket had to be a part of an Alpha’s booking if he were to try and get on a plane. There was no way of escaping the scrutiny at the airport.

Here, if he was lucky and could board the bus behind an Alpha, odds were, the driver wouldn’t check whom he belonged to. Here, he had a chance.

“Aww, congratulations! That’s wonderful.” She cooed, much more friendly now that he had evaded her suspicions.

“Isn’t it?” He smiled.

“I’m afraid there’s only one more seat on the bus.” She said. “It’ll be $225.”

Steve had to reel himself in and actively not-react to that number. In the year he’d been working on his emergency fund, he had only managed to scratch together $278. This ticked would wipe out the bulk of what he had. If Sam didn’t take him in, there’d be nowhere for Steve to go.

“Great, thank you.” Steve pulled off his backpack, realizing that he’d have to count out the amount in small bills. He prayed no one would grow suspicious. If someone called out to ask who he belonged to, if someone should ask for his Alpha, if they detained him to be picked up and processed… He couldn’t think like that. Instead he just smiled pleasantly.

“Sorry, please bear with me.” He said, counting out the larger notes first. He’d stolen them from Brock’s wallet when he’d come home drunk. After a night out, Brock never knew how much money he had spent and had little concept of how much he should have in his wallet the next day.

Next, he moved to the smaller bills. It felt like the counting took forever, though in reality it was probably no more than a minute or so.

“There we go.” He pushed the final count under the protective glass panel and watched her count it out too. She put the money away and printed him a schedule to show him exactly where his stops would be and where he had to change into which bus.

With his body aching all over, he wasn’t particularly looking forward to being in a bus for 3 days, but he knew it was his only option at this point.

“There you go, sweetheart, have a good trip.” Steve thanked her and took the ticket and schedule, clutching them to his chest as he looked up at the clock. The bus was leaving in only half an hour. Unless Brock had come home within minutes of Steve’s departure, odds were that he didn’t even know Steve was gone yet, and if he did, Steve figured he probably wouldn’t get the idea to look for Steve at a cross-country bus terminal within the next half hour, right?

Looking around the terminal, Steve found a seat as far out of sight from the entrance as he could manage. He headed over and curled his body protectively around his few belongings. He only had $53 to his name, as well as maybe two changes of clothing, his ID and a picture of his mom… that was it. He had nothing for his pup, nothing to sustain them. Now that he wasn’t in a frenzy to get away from Brock with his survival instincts carrying him through the motions, Steve cursed himself for not raiding the kitchen. He was already hungry now, and it probably wasn’t going to get better from here on out. He wasn’t about to spend his precious money on expensive bus station food, Steve couldn’t afford that.

He scanned the people in the terminal. Most of them were single passengers, judging by the way they were sitting, with only a few couples and only one family in sight. Steve felt a soft pang at the sight of the pretty omega, cradling her sleeping pup. It couldn’t be more than a few months old.

The solo travelers were all betas or Alphas, of course. Steve knew he would have to sneak onto the bus behind one of the Alphas and hope the driver didn’t question him.

His heart sank when he checked his schedule, he’d known that it would be a long trip and that he would have to change buses a few times, but it only now dawned on him that he would have to pull this off four times. With each new bus he would have to be lucky enough not to be found out as a lone omega, and he’d have to hope that none of his fellow passengers got suspicious enough to question his presence.

Steve close his eyes. He didn’t know how to do this, or what would become of him even if he made it to New York City through some miracle. He didn’t know what to do and it made his stomach churn with a sickening mix of hunger, nausea and fear. Despite how he felt, he made himself sit still, even though just sitting on the wooden seat hurt.

A thought occurred to him and he fumbled with the zipper of the small compartment in the front of his bag. A small wave of relief washed over him. There was some ibuprofen in there that he must have forgotten about when he had last had this bag packed.

Brock had been in a good mood the day he bought this for Steve, so good in fact that he had come out to do the shopping with Steve. It was usually Steve’s task to keep the apartment well stocked with toiletries, to keep food and drinks in the fridge and to make sure Brock’s dinner was on the table when he got home. Brock gave him a weekly allowance to cover expenses and he always checked the bills against Steve’s allowance, making sure it added up to the penny. In the last year though, while his aggression escalated, so did his remorse. It made Brock’s iron grip on his wallet slip a little, had him let Steve get away with small discrepancies that he would have previously questioned. It had helped Steve save away some more money.

Steve pushed one of the pills out of its blister pack and swallowed it dry. Even a little bit of relief would do him good. He was used to being in pain, sure, but he usually didn’t have to pretend not to be, or to function while thinking fast on his feet. The pain had decreased a little by the time the announcement that his bus was ready to board came over the speaker system. An age-old impulse from his childhood made him wonder if he should go to the bathroom in preparation for his long journey. There was nothing in his body to expel though, and a part of him knew that he should at least drink some water soon. All the stress and pain, and lack of nutrients and liquids couldn’t be good for the pup, could it?

He didn’t want to think about it right now though. He didn’t want to examine whether or not he wanted a pup of Brock’s. What on earth would he tell the poor thing when it was old enough to ask questions and wanted to know where its Alpha was? Could he get rid of it? No! His mind recoiled from the thought to the point where Steve’s whole body physically quivered. No, he couldn’t do that.

He’d never blame another omega in his situation for getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy, but Steve knew that he couldn’t do that. The fact that he was pregnant at all, after so many years of poor health and irregular sporadic heats. It was a miracle; he couldn’t give that up.

He knew though, that if he was homeless and without prospects by the time his pregnancy came to an end, he would have to make sure it was adopted into a family that would care for it well. He couldn’t deny his pup a good life, and he wouldn’t risk the poor thing ever going cold or hungry or suffer from his failures.

In the end, conditioning won out and Steve headed into the bathroom. The cock cage made relieving himself cumbersome and messy, but at least it didn’t impair him from doing so. Touching the thing made him queasy though. He needed to find a way to get rid of it, and soon!

This constant reminder of Brock’s perceived ownership was one thing he really didn’t want to keep worrying about.

He knew it would become painful and uncomfortable soon, chafe him in a couple of days, but he also knew that it was the least of his worries for now.

Steve relieved himself and washed his hands thoroughly before using them to drink from the tap. The cool water helped his stomach settle almost immediately, just having something, anything in him was better than nothing. He shouldered his bag, adjusted his scarf to make sure it covered his bruising neck, and headed towards the right exit to board his bus.

His fellow passengers had already formed a queue that was surprisingly orderly; Steve supposed that most of them just wanted to get on the bus and get some rest.

Steve joined the queue, scenting the air. The man ahead of him was a lone Alpha in his 50's or 60's. This could work, Steve figured he could pass for the man’s omega if the driver wasn’t suspicious to begin with. His nerves flared as he neared the door, his ticket ready. Steve realized that he was shifting nervously and tried to stop fidgeting. It wouldn’t do to look nervous right now. He was just an omega, going to Spokane with his Alpha, nothing to see here.

The door came within reach as the passengers ahead of him boarded, and Steve steeled himself to slip onto the bus behind the Alpha. Steve stepped a little closer, getting right behind the Alpha to make them look more like a pair, like a unit, traveling together.

He stepped onto the steps leading into the bus, smiling and presenting his ticket right alongside the man, the moment the driver looked at him he knew he’d whipped his ticket out too eagerly.

“Sir, is this your omega?” The driver asked, looking between them. Steve’s stomach dropped as icy dread pooled in his gut.

The Alpha turned around, startled to see Steve standing so close.

“No, I don’t know him.” He responded, and Steve could hear the instant suspicion in his voice. He was torn between trying to lie and making a run for it, while he still could, while no one had called security yet. But what would he do with just $53 on the streets of Seattle? He was too close to Brock, far too easy to find. Even though Seattle was a big city, he knew Brock would find him here.

“No, sir.” He scrambled to respond. It was clear in his mind; he would claim his Alpha was already on the bus. But what if the driver called for Steve’s Alpha and found out it was a lie when no one came to claim him?

Steve was shaking with cold and fear, he knew his pause was already too long, he could see it in the driver’s eyes, the mounting suspicion.

“I’m his Alpha.”

The voice came from right behind him, Steve looked back at an Alpha who couldn’t be much older than Steve. He was handsome as a picture and wore an army jacket with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder, his expression stern as he held up his own ticket to be checked. “Can we get on now?” The Alpha asked, impatient but polite about it. Steve’s heart was beating in his throat when he looked back at the driver for approval.

“Sure thing, sir, go right ahead.” The driver responded. He was clearly the kind that respected authority figures, and with the Alpha’s severe expression and affiliation, he most certainly fit the fill.

Steve could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he stepped into the bus, glancing back at the Alpha who had come to his rescue. Why had he done that, what did he have to gain from helping Steve? The thought made Steve queasy, but he figured that any price this man wanted for keeping quiet would be worth paying to get out of the city. This man couldn’t be meaner than Brock, right?

“Keep on walking, let’s find a seat in the back.” The Alpha said softly, urging Steve on. “My name’s Bucky.”

Steve hurried along, down the aisle. There was a free row of two seats at the very back and Steve felt instant terror at the prospect of being forced into the window seat, with no way out and no one behind him to see what the Alpha would do to him.

“Mind if I take the window seat?” Bucky asked when they arrived at the empty seats, already pulling his bag over his shoulder awkwardly, and lifting it over his head to stow it in the luggage compartment.

“No, uh. No, go ahead.” Steve stammered.

“Want me to put yours up too?” The Alpha asked. Steve couldn’t think of anything to do but hand it over, watching as his bag was put away safely and the compartment closed so the bags couldn’t fall out.

Bucky slid into the window seat, leaving the much safer (to Steve) aisle seat for him.

Steve sat down carefully. Compared with the wooden seats in the waiting area, the cushioned bus seat was a relief. The painkiller had fully kicked in by then and Steve couldn’t help but feel better in the warmth of the bus. That didn’t mean he felt safe though, not by a long shot. He might have made it on the bus, but he still had three days to go and he had to stay alert.

He glanced at the Alpha next to him, expecting him to be looking at Steve, to lean in and talk to him, but Bucky had slumped into his seat, pressed against the window and had closed his eyes. No part of him was spreading into Steve’s space, even his legs were neatly in the window seat’s leg space and nowhere near Steve’s own.

Steve sat back in his own seat, wonder if he should say anything. Did Bucky know that he was a lone omega? He must know, surely.

Would he pretend to be his Alpha again if need be, if Steve got up the courage to ask? Steve couldn’t be sure where Bucky was going, but he sounded like a New Yorker to Steve.

Would Steve be admitting his own guilt if he thanked him? He really owed this man a ‘Thank you’ at the very least. Bucky had just saved Steve’s ass for no good reason.

Steve swallowed, rolling his head to the side to look at the Alpha. He was a handsome man, but unlike Brock’s brand of handsome, the Alpha’s face looked softer. He didn’t have any angry frown lines. On the contrary, there were pretty lines around his eyes and soft ones around his cheeks from laughing.

“Thank you.” Steve said softly. “For doing this.” He watched as the Alpha opened his eyes with a warm but worried expression.

“It’s not a problem.” Bucky assured Steve. “You don’t need to worry. I won’t tell.” He said, giving Steve a soft nod.

Steve swallowed. Bucky definitely knew Steve was breaking the law. Steve was surprised he didn’t care, but he wasn’t about to question it to Bucky’s face. This was sheer dumb luck, and if Bucky hadn’t said anything, Steve would be in a holding cell right now, waiting for the police or Brock to come get him.

He nodded at the Alpha gratefully, not willing to admit his guilt any further, but also unable to set his manners aside. A part of Steve couldn’t relax until the bus started and left the terminal, visions of security officers boarding the bus and dragging Steve off and back to Brock haunted him until the engine started running and the bus turned into the quiet streets of Seattle.

The speaker system crackled as the driver started to make an announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your Greyhound service from Seattle, Washington to Spokane, Washington. Our next stop will be at Moses Lake. We should arrive there according to schedule at 3 AM. All bathroom facilities on this service are fully functional and can be found at the rear end of the vehicle. Please leave them in a state you’d like to find them in. We wish you a pleasant journey and will be dimming the lights to allow you to get some rest now.”

The lights dimmed and Steve relaxed into his seat, shifting to take the pressure off his sore ass. He glanced at Bucky, who seemed to have fallen asleep already. The idea that what Bucky had done for Steve wasn’t life-changing to him was so at odds with how Steve felt. He decided to follow Bucky’s example and settle in. His body was utterly exhausted and maybe he’d be able to get some rest.

Steve did end up falling asleep but startled awake an hour later to a looming presence hovering over him, a feeling that was so deeply unsettling and familiar that it dragged him out of his exhausted sleep like his body knew it was in danger.

“Hey sugar. Your Alpha’s sleeping. Why don’t you come with me?” The Alpha was tall and large and had managed to get so far into Steve’s space that Steve could smell the booze on his breath.

“No thank you.” Steve whimpered, too scared to think of anything mouthy to say. He couldn’t risk drawing attention to himself here.

“Aww, come on. I bet you could do with a nice big knot in you.” The Alpha’s hand reach down between his legs and Steve braced himself, but before the Alpha could touch him, Bucky’s left hand shot out and grabbed the intruder by the wrist. The Alpha yelped as Bucky squeezed, apparently hard enough to hurt.

“If you wanna keep that filthy hand of yours, I suggest you fuck off right now and don’t even look in our direction again.” Bucky growled in a tone that sent icy shivers down Steve’s spine.

“Let me go, you crazy fuck.” The Alpha whimpered in pain and physically recoiled when Bucky let him go, scrambling back down the aisle, cradling his arm.

“What did you do?” Steve asked, panting from how scared he’d been. He seemed to only ever experience fear these days, but this had been awful.

Bucky pulled his glove off, showing Steve his hand. It gleamed metallic in the dim light of the bus.

“Metal hand.” He explained. “I didn’t break his wrist, but I think I probably could have. “

“Wow…” Steve looked at the mesmerizing gleam. “It’s gorgeous.” There was awe in his voice, and relief. “May I touch it?” He reached for it tentatively. It was solid and shiny, metal plates slotting into each other perfectly to make up an almost completely smooth surface, no matter how Bucky arranged his digits as he turned his hand over this way and that way so that Steve could see it.

“I’m glad you think so.” Bucky replied, though the way he said it made it sound like maybe he didn’t really think so himself. He let Steve go ahead and touch it though.

“You don’t think so?” Steve asked, stroking his fingers over Bucky’s metal ones experimentally. They were warm and pleasant to the touch.

“I only just got it two months ago. I can’t say that I prefer it over the real thing.”

Steve liked the sound of Bucky’s voice, he was soft-spoken for an Alpha and there was something non-threatening in the way he talked… he also sounded like Brooklyn, like home. Now though, the words made him cringe.

“You only just lost your hand?” He asked, looking up at Bucky with the profound feeling that he’d stepped in it.

“Whole arm, up to my shoulder.” Bucky explained, making Steve’s eyes go wide in shock.

“I’m really sorry to hear that.” Steve said quietly. “What you did there was really badass though, thank you. That was the second time you saved me today.” He said, vaguely indicating towards the aisle. Pointing it out to Bucky was a little risky, Steve knew he was basically inviting Bucky to reveal a hidden agenda if he had one, to name the price for his protection.

“Nah, just the second time someone’s been a knot to you today. Maybe the third time?” Bucky asked, using his other hand to indicate his own neck.

Steve startled, reaching up just to realize that he must have pulled his scarf down in his sleep, putting his neck and swollen bruises on display. He scrambled to cover them quickly, letting go of Bucky’s hand.

“I wish it had only been three times.” He said quietly. He couldn’t face Bucky now, but he could see him nodding in his peripheral vision.

“Did you run away?” Bucky asked quietly.

Steve nodded, knowing there was no denying it at this point.

“Where are you headed?” Bucky kept his voice low and Steve appreciated his discretion, not even the people in the next row would be able to hear him, even if they were listening.

“New York City.” Steve replied, hoping Bucky wouldn’t ask him if he had family… or a plan.

“Hey, me too!” Bucky smiled, pulling out his schedule and ticket from the breast pocket of his jacket. Steve looked down at them.

“Yeah, looks like we’re on the same route.” He said, hope sparking in his chest for the first time in months. “You don’t think… do you mind if I stick with you?” Steve asked. “We’ll have to change buses a bunch and…”

“Yeah sure. I don’t mind playing your Alpha if you want me to.” Bucky assured him. “You just relax. We’ll get you to New York safely. I’ll crush anyone who tries anything.” Bucky promised, wriggling his metal fingers before pulling his gloves back on. His expression was so sunny at that the prospect that it made Steve smile a little in return.

“Thank you, Bucky, really.” He said quietly, taking a breath before adding “It’s rare to get an Alpha that doesn’t want something from me.” It was a calculated addition; another opening for Bucky to interject and tell Steve what he wanted from him.

All Steve got in response was a little shrug. “I’m still pretty tired, are you okay if I go back to sleep?” Bucky asked, sitting back in his seat.

Steve nodded, glancing up at the digital clock in the front section of the bus that showed the time in glowing red numbers. It was only 2 AM, one hour until their first stop.

It was a pretty big commitment on Bucky’s part to agree to spend the next three days helping Steve out like this. Steve couldn’t help but feel gratitude and relief at the prospect. So far, Bucky hadn’t done anything to set off his inner alarm bells, not that Steve really thought his instincts were all that trustworthy. After all, they hadn’t kept him from staying with Brock all this time.

He settled back in his seat, then took off his coat to use it as a blanket instead. He wondered if he’d regret this, if he’d regret giving up his home when he found himself alone and broke on the streets of New York City. His hand went to his belly under the cover of his coat. Would Brock try to find him? Steve hoped not. Brock didn’t want to be a father. The prospect had made him beat Steve savagely, that was a clear enough response. Steve only hoped that Brock would be relieved that he was gone and leave it at that. Steve knew in his heart that he would probably not survive if Brock ever set eyes on him again.

Sleep found him again, and this time it was the speaker system that roused him as the driver announced that they were about to reach Moses lake. They would have a 15-minute pit stop at a gas station where refreshments would be available for purchase. Steve felt his stomach growl in response to that notion.

When the time came to leave the bus, Bucky didn’t move and Steve couldn’t bring himself to either, instead he chose the safety of Bucky’s presence and the bus over the cold outside. The majority of the passengers had the same idea, it seemed, as only very few left their seats.

Steve watched the driver fill up the tank, and soon they were on the road again. He started to feel a sense of true relief come over him and he realized that a part of him had been imagining horror scenarios in which Brock awaited him at the next stop to drag him off the bus.

Bucky woke up about half an hour before they reached Spokane and they got up so Bucky could use the bathroom. It was still pitch-black outside, and Steve felt incredibly weary. He was thirsty and hungry, and really wished he could lay down and stretch out to take the weight off his backside. Bucky looked similarly bleary-eyed when he emerged from the small bathroom, smelling of cheap soap.

Steve went in second. In the white bathroom light, he looked like a ghost. He sat down to pee after thoroughly cleaning the seat as much as he could. He looked down to at his cock, the skin around the top of the cage was already slightly swollen from the metal chafing at it. It was no use, stressing about it now, he supposed, as there was no way to get it off. He needed to worry about making it to New York City.

His stomach was so empty, Steve wished he had something to eat. Their next stop would last half an hour, maybe it was worth trying to find the cheapest possible thing to eat? He cleaned himself up before drinking water from the tap just to fill his stomach.

“Only three more days of this.” Bucky said tiredly when Steve sat back down next to him a minute later.

“Guess there’s a reason most people choose to fly.” Steve replied, wondering if money was also Bucky’s reason to taking the bus.

They fell into a tired, but oddly comfortable silence, watching people queue past their seat to the bathroom.

“Oh, fuck me.” Bucky groaned when someone exiting the bathroom released the most ungodly stench into the air, making Steve pull his scarf up over his nose on instinct.

He immediately pulled it back down again when the smell of Brock’s skin induced an instant panic reaction making Steve startle visibly, as if in fear that Brock might suddenly be standing next to him.

“You okay?” Bucky asked, clearly alarmed by Steve’s reaction. Steve nodded, gasping. For a second, he’d really thought Brock was here. He must be really tired.

Bucky frowned, reaching over carefully. “Can I?” He asked, picking up the end of Steve’s scarf that was closes to him and scenting it. Steve could watch on Bucky’s face as the Alpha put two and two together.

“Here.” Bucky reached into his coat and pulled out a pack of balm scented tissues, offering one to Steve.

Steve accepted it quickly, he needed to get Brock’s scent out of his head.

“It’s alright now.” Bucky assured him, and something about the way he said it actually felt comforting. Steve supposed his body was having some sort of withdrawal reaction, because his own Alpha hadn’t spoken to him softly like that in months, if not longer. He inhaled the clean artificial scent gratefully and settled back down, closing his eyes.

Spokane came as a relief, and Steve clutched his bag to his chest as they disembarked from the bus. It was just as cold here as it had been in Seattle, but the air felt a lot cleaner. He didn’t leave Bucky’s side, scared the Alpha from earlier would try and find him. To his massive relief, they saw the other Alpha heading out of the bus station and towards a waiting car in the parking lot.

“One less thing to worry about.” Bucky said softly, and Steve realized he’d kept an eye out for that Alpha as well. “Come on, let’s head into the warmth. I could do with some food.” Bucky suggested.

Food, yes. Steve needed some of that too and sticking with Bucky suited him just fine. He’d slept next to Bucky for almost four hours now and Bucky had done nothing but protect Steve, he didn’t feel like his limited trust was misplaced at this point.

The station had a small supermarket-style setup. Prices were a bit inflated, compared with what Steve was used to, but not drastically extortionate. If he found something for two to three dollars, that’d leave him with $50 still, and that was still some money, right? $50 didn’t mean completely broke. Steve could tell himself that at least.

He walked through the aisles, never straying far from Bucky’s protective presence. A bag of untoasted bread slices would keep him full, he decided, carrying it to checkout.

“Is that all you’re getting?” Bucky asked. He was carrying a sandwich, a soda, an apple and a bag of Dorito’s tucked under his arm.

“Yeah, this is fine, it’s my favorite.” Steve lied, paying quickly, and quietly cursing himself for saying something so ridiculously untrue.

He could barely wait to get into that bag of bread though, starving by now, but he followed Bucky to their next bus terminal first, not wanting to risk being left behind.

“How long since you last ate?” Bucky asked him, after pointedly not-watching as Steve stuffed one slice after another into his mouth, almost panting with the effort of chewing. It just felt so good to do something normal like eating. There was no judgement in Bucky’s voice though and Steve appreciated that.

“Maybe yesterday around this time?” Steve guessed, packing the rest of the bread into his backpack for later.

Bucky pulled out his schedule, studying it. “Alright, so… we get on bus number 948 here… and then there’s a bunch of short stops along the way, but we don’t change again until Billings, Montana tonight?” He phrased it as a question to Steve, who had been reading it over his shoulder.

Steve nodded. “What do you say we don’t sit near the bathroom this time?” Steve suggested. He’d thought he’d get an instant agreement on this point, but Bucky looked a little conflicted as he considered the request.

“What? Did you enjoy the experience?” Steve joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“God, no.” Bucky chuckled, shaking his head. “No, it’s just… I got some PTSD.” He said quietly. “I don’t like having anyone I don’t know behind me.” He explained, but quickly followed up on it. “You’re right though. Let’s try and grab something further in the front.”

Steve found his own voice soften instinctively. “Are you sure? I’ll put up with the back if you prefer.” He offered, but Bucky shook his head, clearly having come to some sort of resolution.

“No, I think… if you don’t mind taking the aisle seat again, it’ll be fine.” Bucky responded, nodding as if reassuring himself.

Steve nodded as well, giving him a smile. It was the least he could do for Bucky.

They didn’t sit down while Bucky ate, after all, they’d be sitting for almost another three whole days, and now that Steve had some food in him, he didn’t feel as faint anymore.

When Bucky went to toss his soda bottle Steve stopped him. “Do you mind if I keep this for water?” He asked, happy when Bucky handed it over. Steve excused himself and rushed to the bathroom where he washed out the bottle and filled it at the drinking fountain before gulping half the bottle down. He fished another painkiller from his bag, glad that he had so many left. When he pulled the small backpack compartment open, he realized that the zipper had a little attachment that the other zippers didn’t have. He frowned, turning the little disk over. He must have torn those off all the other zippers accidentally. This was definitely the least used compartment and this bag was so old. That reminded him. He turned the thing over on the sink, checking the bottom of the backpack. It was hanging on by literal threads. He’d have to be careful and make sure nothing tore without him noticing. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing his mother’s picture.

He decided to put the water bottle into his coat pocket, rather than adding to the weight inside his backpack. It only had to hang on for a few more days.

Sighing, he shouldered the bag again. The implication of what a three-day bus ride would do to his back was only just dawning on Steve now. He had always suffered from scoliosis and it usually caused him some pain and headaches on a semi-weekly basis, and that was without sitting still in a bus seat for days on end. He decided to fill up the water bottle again before bracing himself to go out and join Bucky again.

He found Bucky looking up at the departure board in the terminal where he’d left him.

“They just said the bus has a slight delay.” Bucky informed him. “It’ll be another 20 minutes before it gets here.”

“Are we going to make our connection?” Steve asked anxiously, but Bucky could only give him a one-shouldered shrug in response.

“They said they’d try to make up the time, so I’m guessing yeah?” He said, stepping away from Steve to put his bag down before stretching his arms over his head and twisting his torso this way and that. “Come on, might as well do something good for our bodies while we wait.” Bucky suggested. “My physio said that if I feel depressed or bad, I need to check if I’m thirsty, hungry, tired or in pain. I’m pretty sure after another day of this I’ll definitely be in pain.”

Steve couldn’t help but smile, not only because Bucky’s smile was a little infectious, but because that was possibly the most healthy and self-aware thing an Alpha had ever said to him.

Steve put his own bag down but winced when he tried to stretch. His whole back had tensed up during the drive and his ribs and side were aching fiercely where Brock had kicked him.

“You alright?” Bucky asked, worriedly, but Steve waved his concern away.

“Just got a bad back is all.” He assured him, trying again but going more slowly this time, carefully building up the stretch. He had to admit, part of it felt good.

“When did you last see your physiotherapist?” Steve asked, figuring it was an unintrustive enough question that wasn’t likely to result in counter questions from Bucky.

“Two days ago, day before yesterday.” Bucky clarified, because after 6 hours on a bus, time seemed like the construct it was. “She wasn’t thrilled when I told her I’d be taking a bus home to New York.” He chuckled. “But I guess in a battle between my psychiatrist and my physiotherapist, the psychiatrist wins.”

Steve gave a confused laugh. “Your psychiatrist said you should take a bus home?” He asked, disbelieving. Bucky laughed as well, soft and self-deprecating.

“Yeah, I’m not sold on it either, but apparently a lot of vets do better after seeing what they were fighting for… or more like, in my case, he thought that seeing more of my country would cement the fact that I made it home in my mind. Like I’d feel like I had arrived if I took a hard, long journey home, saw the people and the landscapes, … that sort of thing.” Bucky explained.

“That kind of makes sense.” Steve supposed.

Bucky just smiled. “I’ll tell you if it worked.” Bucky promised, finishing his stretches. “At the moment it just makes me feel like I was run over by our bus.” He joked, and Steve could only agree. A part of him thought that the floor didn’t look entirely uncomfortable for sleeping on right this moment.

“Well, Montana is meant to be gorgeous, and at least we’ll be able to see something in the daytime.” Steve reasoned.

“You got a point there.” Bucky pulled out his schedule again, clearly having a bit of a look through their still endless way home.

“It’ll be worth it though.” Steve assured him. “You sound like a New Yorker, it’ll be good to see the city, right?” Steve asked.

Bucky probably had a whole pack of a family at home. A handsome guy like Bucky probably had an omega and some pups, eagerly awaiting his return. Maybe that was why he didn’t demand anything from Steve? That was nice, knowing there were loyal Alphas out there who protected lone omegas in their spare time without demanding favors.

“Yeah, definitely.” And I really wanna see my sister and her pups again.” Bucky admitted, but his smile was a little sad.

“But?” Steve asked, because Bucky’s tone made it sound like there was a big ‘but’ attached to that.

Bucky sighed and put his schedule away. “I just don’t know what I’ll do there yet, is all. I’ve been a career soldier since I got out of high school, and now I’m a one-armed cripple with about zero life or job experience. I mean… I’ll be fine, I’ll go to my sister’s and figure it out. I’m just… not really looking forward to it.” Bucky explained.

“Maybe you ought to look into doing security work. The way you grabbed that guy was incredible.” Steve said, but Bucky shook his head at the mere thought.

“Nah, man. I’m done with violence.” Bucky explained, and that seemed to be the one thing he was sure about.

“Well, that already narrows it down.” Steve pointed out. “I think a lot of people would love to have a chance to start over, even though I get that most people don’t have to go through what you survived.” Steve remembered Bucky had only just lost his entire arm. His prosthesis seemed to be incredibly functional, so it was easy to forget it at times.

Bucky’s smile was warm, and Steve was glad that he at least didn’t mind Steve’s opinion, if he’d spoken to Brock like that, he would have earned himself a slap.

“You’re really kind.” Bucky said. “I don’t mean to intrude or anything, but I’d really like to know your name.” He said it very cautiously and Steve couldn’t help but be amazed by his patience. He’d been sitting next to Bucky for 6 to 7 hours now and he hadn’t even introduced himself.

“It’s Steve.” He said softly. For a second, he’d thought about giving a fake name, but he knew he’d forget to react to it when he was tired, and Steve was common enough anyway.

“I’m glad you’re traveling with me, Steve.” Bucky said, making Steve smile in return.

Being around Bucky was a stark reminder that he hadn’t always been afraid of Alphas. Hell, Sam was an Alpha, and he was the best man Steve knew. Steve was longing to get to him, because he knew, deep in his heart, beneath all his doubts, that even if Sam was mad at him for the letter he had had to write, Sam would forgive him, and Steve would be safe with him. Another part of him wondered if he was stupid for feeling save with Bucky. Despite his size and obvious strength, there was something soft and warm about Bucky that translated as ‘safe’ to Steve’s omega monkey brain.

“Me too.” Steve replied, eyes lighting up when he saw bus number 948 pull up at their terminal.

They boarded the bus shortly after, and with Bucky by his side, Steve presented the ticket without fear.

They took up two seats halfway down the bus, sitting down in exactly the same order as they had before, with Bucky in the window seat and Steve in the aisle seat. This time, Bucky pulled a book from his bag before shoving the bag into the overhead compartment and doing the same for Steve’s bag.

Steve became acutely aware that he’d brought absolutely nothing to entertain himself on a three-day journey. It really hadn’t been his priority at the time, obviously, but he had a feeling he might get pretty bored.

It wasn’t much of a concern yet though. Steve’s body was still hurting, and he was still pretty exhausted from his getaway. The feeling of safety was only just sinking in and even though he had caught a few hours of sleep during the night, Steve was out like a light as soon as the engine started to vibrate under him. He didn’t wake at their first pit stop and was dead to the world for most of the morning.

Steve startled awake when the bus took a sharp turn into a stop a few hours later. “Where are we?” He asked, looking at Bucky in a haze, completely out of it and with no sense of how long he’d been out.

“Missoula, Montana.” Bucky told him. “Did you sleep alright?”

“Yeah… yeah.” Steve rubbed his eyes, he’d been dreaming, and he knew it hadn’t been a good dream, though none of the images stayed with him.

Steve was in pain, his entire back having seized up from the strain of the last 12 hours of sitting, his ass cheeks were numb, but his entrance was providing him with a steady throbbing pain.

Brock had been so damn rough. His ribs were the worst though, stabbing pain shooting up into his skull form there. Steve had to sit up straight just to feel like he could breathe properly.

“Let’s go step outside.” Bucky suggested when the bus came to a stop and Steve realized he must have seen Steve’s face contort in pain.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Steve agreed, stumbling onto shaky legs as they queued to get off the bus.

“Oh wow…” He looked at the green mountainous landscape all around them and took as deep a breath as he could manage.

The air smelled crisp and clean; a part of Steve could barely believe what a difference it was compared with the city air in Seattle.

“I’ve been looking out the window a lot.” Bucky said quietly, standing next to him. “You were right, it’s beautiful here. Let’s walk around the bus stop. It’ll do us good to move.” Bucky suggested and Steve thought he was probably right. It wasn’t a full solution for his pain, but his muscles did seem to loosen after a couple of minutes, despite the crisp cold in the air.

There were little food stalls inside the station, though only some of them were open. Steve suppressed the thought of how good a warm meal would feel just about now. There was no point in thinking about that, he had to save his money.

He’d have more of his untoasted bread when they were back on the bus, and then a pill to help his back. There was a little shop with books inside the station, the sight of which gave him a pang of longing. It had been so long since he’d felt calm and safe enough to curl up and read a book. This would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

“Hey, mind if we pop in there?” Bucky asked, indicating the very bookstore Steve had been looking at.

“Sure.” Steve went along, following Bucky into the warmth.

Just being surrounded by books felt good. Books had been his companions all through childhood. Steve had been a sickly pup and spent a lot of his time home from school. He had read his way through most of the library’s children and teen’s section by the time he was only 10.

He watched Bucky browse, taking in the Alpha’s handsome features as he studied the spines and covers with interest. His eyes lit up a little, every time something caught his eye.

“Hey Steve. Look here! This one I want is in the 2 for 1 section. You wanna find a second book for the deal?” He asked. Steve’s heart jumped with excitement at the thought before he could reel it in.

“Oh, no. I couldn’t.” He said quickly. “They’re your books.”

“Well, sure.” Bucky shrugged as if he wasn’t giving this exchange much thought. “But I can only read one at a time. You go ahead and pick one. We’ll switch when we’re done.” He decided, looking at Steve with such a sunny inviting expression that Steve couldn’t bring himself to turn the offer down.

He stepped closer to Bucky, into the right section, scanning the books on offer with excitement. He found one he wanted quickly, showing it to Bucky for approval.

“Cool, let’s get them and get back on the bus.” Bucky checked his watch; it was almost time.

Steve stood aside while Bucky paid quickly, and they made it onto the bus just as a final call was announced for their bus number.

Steve clutched the book to his chest, just reveling in the weight and feel of it. They took their seats and Steve opened the book up, inhaling the scent of fresh pages. This would make traveling easier; it would take his mind off of just being terrified all the time and distract him from the pain in his body.

The bus took off and Steve relaxed into his seat as much as he could, before he remembered his pills would help with the pain. He got his bag down, stowing the precious book safely while he had some much-needed food and took one of his pills with water. They had another five hours or so on this bus before their next change, with only a couple of pitstops along the way, so Steve knew he had to really settle in and accept his fate. He was going to be sitting for a lot longer.

The views outside were breathtaking and Bucky occasionally prompted him to look up and see a lake or a particularly beautiful mountain, using such a quiet gentle voice to address Steve that didn’t even startle Steve as he read. The book made time go fast and Steve ended up losing himself in it completely. Bucky had curled up in the seat next to him and seemed equally engrossed in his own book. Everything was quiet for a long while and Steve almost felt at peace. He ended up drifting off to sleep again, his body taking the opportunity to help him heal.

When he woke up warm and comfortable, he realized that he was horizontal, though he didn’t understand how. Bucky wasn’t next to him, but Steve’s head was resting on Bucky’s bag and his body was covered by Bucky’s army jacket.

Bucky’s voice came from behind him. “Sorry, I hope this is okay. You looked like you could use some proper shut-eye, so I moved back here when the seats freed up.”

Steve sat up, tugging the jacket around himself. The bus felt awfully cold now.

“Heating broke down an hour or so ago.” Bucky informed him. “It’s okay though, we’re only like half an hour from Billings. We’ll be on a new bus before we all turn into popsicles.” He assured Steve.

Steve nodded, still a little dazed. He was so grateful for the jacket; it was much warmer than his own. “Don’t you need this back?” He asked.

“Not right now, lay back down again, stay warm.” Bucky told him. The ‘you need it’ was gently implied and Steve couldn’t bring himself to protest.

He curled up on the double seat again, pulling Bucky’s jacket up over his neck. The scent of it was pleasant and Steve found himself slowly inhaling it. Bucky felt like an ally by now, and Steve couldn’t deny that he enjoyed being protected by him.

Around 5 PM, they arrived in Billings, Montana. Too soon for Steve, because he was finally comfortable, but according to their schedule, they were very late. What should have been an hour-long layover translated into them only barely making it onto the next bus that would take them to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 17 hours.

A bone-deep dread made Steve’s heart beat triple time when he realized that their late arrival meant there were no two seats left next to each other and they wouldn’t be able to sit together.

“It’s alright, you take this one and I’ll take the one in the back there. I’ll see you on the next stop.” Bucky assured Steve, helping him stow his bag before he left for the back of the bus.

Steve was so damn tired, and he’d been so grateful for Bucky’s kind and pleasant company that having it taken away from him now felt like the floor had been pulled out from under him. He glanced back to where Bucky was taking his own aisle seat about eight rows behind Steve. Without Bucky there, Steve felt exposed and alone. He hadn’t realized how much Bucky did to put him at ease without even thinking about it.

The Alpha he’d sat down next to luckily seemed to have absolutely no interest in Steve whatsoever. He did sit with his legs spread wide though, taking up at least half of Steve’s leg space as he sprawled against the window.

Steve bit his tongue. This was a 17-hour ride. He didn’t’ want to end up making anyone mad and having to sit next to them for so long. He couldn’t draw attention to himself, and who knew, maybe this guy wasn’t even going all the way to Minneapolis. Steve could handle this; it was going to be okay.

Sleep was impossible in his uncomfortable perching position that allowed him to not touch the Alpha’s leg at all. Though even if the man hadn’t been sitting like a piece of Alpha shit, Steve wouldn’t have been able to relax. He didn’t feel safe, and his body was aching fiercely. When they reached their first pitstop in Miles City, Montana, Steve bolted off the bus, needing to move, to breathe, to get away.

He remembered what Bucky had told him earlier that day and did a self-check.

Was he hungry? Yes.

Was he thirsty? Also, yes.

Tired? Yes!

In pain? Very much yes.

No wonder he was feeling awful.

“Hey, are you alright?” Bucky had come off the bus after him, and Steve was so glad to see him.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He assured him. “The guy next to me just sits like a dickbag.” What a stupid thing to complain and be upset about. Alphas had done way worse to him in the past.

“Wanna swap?” Bucky offered, making Steve look at him with wide eyes. “There’s a beta next to me, and they’re really quiet and polite.

“I can’t just-“

“Take my seat, it’s okay.” Bucky assured him. It was so damn nice of him. Steve was torn between wanting to refuse and wanting to cry with gratitude. Why was Bucky so kind and patient? Why was he helping Steve when his own Alpha hadn’t even said a nice word to him in months? No stranger had ever just helped him like this before. Steve had done nothing to deserve this, and he felt awful for wanting to agree to Bucky giving up his far better seating arrangement for him.

“Come on. I get a kick out of teaching assholes how to sit.” Bucky coaxed him. “Go on, go sit down in the back where I was.” He ushered Steve back onto the bus.

“Go right ahead I’ll be with you in a minute.” He said and Steve was too grateful and ashamed to question where Bucky was going.  
He headed down the aisle past the knot-spreading scum and took the seat Bucky had previously occupied.

“Hey.” He said softly to the beta in the window seat and received a curt acknowledgement in return.

Steve breathed a sigh of relief, incredibly glad for his change of surroundings. On a trip like this, exposed to the cold and so many strangers, in pain just from sitting… it did something to him. Just having his leg space to himself improved his mood massively.

He smiled when he saw Bucky come down the aisle towards him. He’d gone to the deli in the bus stop and was carrying a paper bag with their logo on it now.

“Better?” Bucky asked, smiling at Steve, then at the beta in the other seat.

“Yeah, thank you. Let me know if you want to switch back at the next stop.” Steve said.

“Uh, guys, I actually get off at the next stop.” The beta chimed in. It was the single best news Steve had heard all day.

“I’ll come back here then.” Bucky told Steve, giving the beta a grateful smile. “In the meantime, …” He pulled a foil-wrapped sandwich out of his bag. It looked beautiful with meat, cheese, vegetables, all in fresh-looking bread. Bucky pushed it into Steve’s hand. “You need to have dinner. Here’s some juice to go with it.” Bucky handed him a bottle. “I’ll see you in a little while, alright?”

“Bucky… thank you.” Steve was floored. The food smelled so damn good and he was desperately hungry for something that wasn’t his plain untoasted bread.

“You got it. I’ll see you at the next stop.” Bucky promised, returning to the seat Steve had abandoned.

“That’s a real nice Alpha you got there.” The beta next to him said warmly. Steve nodded. He should be so lucky….

“He’s really great.” Steve agreed quietly, unwrapping the sandwich a little more and taking a bite of it. It was delicious. He felt much better after finishing the first half.

He took his time on the second half, really enjoying it and looking out the window.

The beta kept to themselves, and their presence was much more comforting than that of an Alpha. A part of Steve wondered if he’d ever be able to stand being with an Alpha again. They’d have to be at least as kind and warm as Bucky was. A part of him thought, he’d probably only ever be able to see betas in the future though. He’d learned too much about what a violent Alpha could do, and he couldn’t put himself or the pup at risk like that again. His pup, god… that still hadn’t quite sunk in. he didn’t really feel pregnant yet, but it was only a matter of time until he’d be an unbonded omega with a pup. It would make him a very unappealing partner choice to anyone with standards.

Being a widower would be one thing, but having a pup out of matehood in this country? He’d be lucky if he could convince the pup’s school that he’d been mated to the father, otherwise he might not be able to even get a spot for his pup.

Steve closed his eyes. He was nothing in this world, he’d be lucky if he wasn’t homeless in two days. Technically, he would be, even if he could find Sam. He had no place that he belonged in, and he’d have to rely on his friend’s kindness to survive either way. His life was such a damn mess.

Dickson, North Dakota couldn’t come soon enough. The bus pulled into the station at 11PM and Steve longed for Bucky’s safe presence at that point. They had a 12-hour ride ahead of them until their next bus change and he planned to rest as much as he could in that time, now that he knew what a massive difference having a calming presence by his side made.

“Hey, how was the trip?” Bucky asked, stowing Steve’s bag up overhead their new seats. Steve got up to let him take the window seat again.

“Much better. Thank you, really!” Steve told him, wincing as he sat down. His body was sore from sitting, his cock desperately uncomfortable in its cage, and Steve was honestly starting to feel a little rank. Given how cold it was, and how many layers he was wearing just to stay warm, he hoped that Bucky didn’t notice. Bucky himself still smelled pretty clean; Steve suspected he’d used his bathroom breaks to freshen up.

“This is gonna be a killer on our backs by the time we get home.” Bucky sighed, shifting in discomfort. He opened up his book again after turning on the overhead reading light, and Steve smiled at how far into the book Bucky had gotten since they’d last sat together.

Steve followed his example and they settled into relative comfort as the bus drove into the pitch-black night.

An hour later, Steve reached out to catch Bucky’s book before it could slide off his lap and onto the floor. He folded the dust cover flap into the book to mark Bucky’s place and put it in his own lap under his own book. Bucky’s jaw was slack as he slept with his head rolled back into the headrest.

A stupid part of Steve’s brain wanted to lean against him to escape the slightly chilly air in the bus. Instead, he turned off the overhead lights and settled in to get some rest as well. It was another 11 hours until Minneapolis, and that was only their third to last bus change. Right now, he was safe, with a kind Alpha watching his back. He knew he might not be so lucky when he got to New York City, he had to take advantage of that.

“Steve?” He woke up to Bucky’s soft voice in his ear. “I’m sorry to wake you up, but I really gotta use the bathroom. Steve blinked himself semi-awake, realizing that he had slid sideways in this sleep and was now resting most of his weight against Bucky.

“I’m sorry….” His voice came out rough and he scrambled to his feet to let Bucky get up. He didn’t know what time it was or where they were. The bus was almost completely dark and the clock in the front was only showing a broken 88:88. Bucky slid past him and down the aisle to the bathroom. The air in the bus was pretty cold and Steve got his bag down to pull out the other sweater he had to make himself warmer.

Bucky was back a minute later. “Don’t go back there if you can hold it.” He warned Steve. “Someone shat on the floor in front of the toilet…”

“Ew!” Steve groaned. He didn’t need the bathroom right now but just knowing there wasn’t a decent one around for him to use made him question that fact. Bucky climbed back into his seat.

“Listen, Steve, I …uhm…” Bucky sounded nervous. “My prosthesis is really starting to hurt. Do you mind if I take off my arm?” He asked, seeming to actually care for Steve’s preference, not that Steve understood why he might be expected to have one.

“No, of course I don’t mind. Why would I?” He asked. “I don’t want you to be in pain.” He assured Bucky.

“I… thanks. It’s just, a lot of people are really weird about a guy with an empty sleeve.” Bucky explained, reaching into the collar of his shirt. Steve heard a couple of clicks, followed by some sort of pressure release and then Bucky was pulling his beautiful shining metal arm out through the wrist hole of his jacket and stowing it in the space between his body and the window. Once it was off, he visibly relaxed.

“Is it heavy?” Steve asked.

“Hm, not much heavier than my other arm, but it’s not actually a part of my body, so it just … kind of pulls?” Bucky explained. “It’s great to have, because it’s so functional, but when I don’t need to do anything, I just like to take it off. And I never slept in it before.”

“Must be weird.” Steve thought out loud. “It looks amazing though, I mean, I saw how you can turn a page with it. I didn’t know technology was so far along in prosthetics.” Steve said, genuinely in awe of it.

“It’s not, not really anyway. I’m part of a beta trial to test a new generation of prosthetics. But, yeah, it’s really incredible.” Bucky agreed with a sad tone in his voice. “It’s just not the real thing.” He explained, rubbing his shoulder with the remaining hand. “Thank you for being cool about it.” He added quietly, giving Steve a tired smile.

“If anyone ever isn’t, they’re not worth your time.” Steve pointed out. They both settled back in. He’d put the books in his bag and was now clutching the bag to his chest as if it was an extra layer of warmth.

“You’re a really nice guy, Steve.” Bucky said softly, making Steve give a startled little laugh.

“That’s a lot, coming from you.” He pointed out. “I’ll take it though, thank you.” He smiled at Bucky in the dark.

“Get some shut-eye. If we make it to Minneapolis on time, we can maybe rent one of those layover rooms they got, get some sleep in a horizontal position on a bed.” Bucky suggested.

Steve didn’t know what those were, but he knew he didn’t have enough money to rent anything. “It’s okay, I don’t need anything.” He lied. “I just want a clean restroom that I can wash up in.” He wanted to brush his teeth, wanted to use the sink to at least do a minimal wash. Bucky didn’t respond, his eyes already closed again.

Alone in the dark, Steve couldn’t help but wonder if Brock had reported him missing by now, if he was out looking for Steve. He wondered if Brock knew Steve had gotten a bus out of Seattle.

In New York, the law was on his side, an omega had the right to remove themselves from their Alpha mate or guardian in circumstances of abuse. In Seattle, that hadn’t been the case. In Seattle, Brock had been akin to his owner. If Steve made it home to New York state, he’d be safe. No Alpha could claim ownership over him just because they’d put their seed in him. His pup would be his own there.

That didn’t mean brock couldn’t try to take him to court over custody, but Steve couldn’t imagine him trying to fight over a pup, Brock didn’t want to be a father. Steve knew he couldn’t ask him for child support though, and he definitely didn’t want Brock’s money. He just wanted to be as far away from him as he could get.

This time, he couldn’t fall asleep and instead ended up dozing in a half-drowsy daze as the night progressed. By the time the bus pulled into the Fargo, North Dakota bus terminal, Steve had to go to the bathroom badly, and he desperately wanted to wash up. He reached over, tentatively, to touch Bucky’s knee and softly shake him awake.

“I’ll go to the bathroom here.” Steve told him, quietly earning himself a bleary-eyed nod.

The place was mercifully clean and smelled like fresh bleach. They only had a 20-minute layover, but Steve was determined to make the most of it. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and used paper towels soaked in warm water ton his more delicate areas before applying fresh deodorant from his bag of toiletries, so glad that he had thought to grab them from the bathroom before he left.

By the time he re-emerged, he felt much more like a person and less self-conscious of his own body and appearance. The cage was really starting to hurt, though at least he’d been able to readjust himself in it a little to minimize the chafing. He really wanted to find a way to get that thing off, or he knew he’d rub his skin raw. It had happened before when Brock had refused to take it off him in the past.

Steve didn’t know how Brock had gotten it into his head that Steve might be cheating on him, considering that Steve barely ever left their home. No amount of promises and assurances could convince the Alpha otherwise.

The sight of Bucky emerging form the Alpha bathroom made Steve’s heart beat a little faster, and he quickly went to meet him in boarding the bus. “You put your arm back on.” He observed, wondering why that was.

“Yeah, I feel a bit naked without it, like if there’s trouble I’d be useless.” Bucky explained. “Also, I’ve got like no balance without it whatsoever.” He added, quietly, as if it was a secret just between the two of them, and that made Steve laugh a little. At this point, Steve was beyond wondering why Bucky was so nice to him, he had firmly moved into the mental territory where he had decided to just enjoy it while he still had Bucky’s company.

They were 5 hours away from Minneapolis, and for the first time they were both truly awake during the day.

Bucky produced a deck of playing cards from his duffle bag and they ended up spending the next three hours playing cards in comfortable companionship.

Bucky was good at most games, but Steve knew how to play dirty in some of them, courtesy of Sam and Riley. Riley had been a whiz at counting cards and had tried to teach Steve all he knew about it, not that Steve retained half of it. That had been before Riley and Sam left for their final deployment together. As Sam’s mate, Riley had had special permission to serve. Steve had always envied him, that was… until one day Sam returned Riley didn’t. Steve had to force himself not to think about it.

Despite Bucky’s pleasant company and the games that took up Steve’s mind, he had to call an end to the play. He couldn’t stand sitting sideways any longer, it hurt his ribs too badly and pushed his cage into an awkward position, that had it pulling on Steve’s balls painfully. He ended up taking another painkiller to help him make it to the next bus.

He was getting so damn tired of sitting upright. All he wanted was to be horizontal, so that he could take some strain off his rear and back, even his neck was starting to ache and his head with it.

For the last few hours on the journey to Minneapolis, Steve was in agony, despite the painkiller. His back wouldn’t stop hurting and he couldn’t help shifting in pain every few minutes. He could feel Bucky’s worried gaze on him every once in a while, but there was nothing anyone could do to make this better.

When the bus finally stopped, ahead of schedule, at the bus terminal in Minneapolis where they would have a two-hour layover, Steve couldn’t help but get up and out of the bus as fast as possible. He was in pain and starting to feel a little claustrophobic. “Need the bathroom.” He mumbled to let Bucky know where he was dashing off to, before he grabbed his bag and rushed off the bus and into the terminal as quickly as the awkwardly dangling cage, and the pain in his back allowed.

The terminal was huge compared with the small rest stops they’d been stopping at for the past few hours. The nearest bathroom was easy to find though, and Steve was just about to push the door open when his arm was grabbed violently.

He was yanked back and shoved into the wall on the other side of the little corridor that led to the omega bathroom.

He knew it was Brock even before he met his Alpha’s furious eyes.

“You little cunt.” Brock hissed, and Steve knew if they weren’t in public, Brock would be beating the life out of him already. He could feel the rage rolling off the Alpha in waves.

“Please.” It came out as a terrified whimper; Steve couldn’t comprehend how this was happening. How had Brock found him. “Plea-Please let me go Brock, you don’t want this.”

Brock slapped him across the face, sending him slumping into the corner and shutting him up. Fear coursed through his body. He knew he was going to die, if not now, then when they were alone.

“Stop whining. You sound pathetic.” Brock yanked him back fully onto his feet with his fist bunched into the front of Steve’s jacket. “You thought you could run off? Just like that, huh? Run back to your pathetic little friends and extort my money for that bastard pup?” Brock’s face was so close to Steve that to any bystander it might look like they were kissing.

“You’re coming back with me.” Brock hissed. “And if you behave real good, I might just pretend this never happened, how about that?” Brock asked.

Steve’s legs were shaking so hard they were threatening to give out under him, not that it would make Brock let him go.

“Please, I just wanna go home! I don’t want anything from you. I don’t need money, I’ll never make trouble for you again, please. Just let me go, we can just let this go and you never have to see me again, please.” It came out in a weak shaky voice, a desperate plea for his life, and Steve hated himself for being so weak, for going limp, for being too scared to even fight Brock. He was scared to make a scene, he didn’t know what Brock would do if he tried, or if anyone would believe a word Steve said.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t-“

Something collided with Brock’s temple with enough force to knock him off his feet and into the wall right next to Steve.

Brock didn’t stay down but launched himself at his attacker. Bucky.

Steve watched in horror as the two Alphas fought. Brock was taller, but Bucky was bulkier, and more importantly, he’d been prepared.

That didn’t make the fight balanced though, because while Bucky was trying to restrain Brock, Brock was going for blood.

“Stop, please! Brock, stop it!” Steve tore Brock’s scarf from his own neck and jumped into the fight, wrapping the scarf over Brock’s head and neck. He used his whole body weight to yank Brock backwards and away from Bucky.

Brock pulled the scarf off himself, reaching for Steve, but froze with his hands inches from Steve’s neck, already bruised in deep dark finger shapes, seemingly startled at the sight.

“Kill me if you have to.” Steve told him in the moment of silence that followed. “But I’m not coming back with you. I don’t want you, or your money. This isn’t your baby, and I don’t need you. I just want you gone.” He said, his voice still ringing with fear, but not begging now.

The sound of a gun’s safety being removed, and Steve looked up as Bucky put a gun against the back of Brock’s head.

“Actually, killing him isn’t one of your options.” Bucky said, his tone cold and his voice steady.

Brock put his hands up, as much as he could in his awkward position over Steve, and backed up onto his knees, and off Steve’s body, while Steve scrambled backwards.

“Easy there, buddy.” Brock said, just as security finally came running around the corner with their own weapons out.

“Put the gun down, put it down!” One of the security officers shouted, and Bucky immediately put on the safety and put it down on the ground before putting his hands up as well.

“Sergeant James Barnes. The gun is not loaded. I repeat, it’s not loaded, and I’m authorized to carry it.” He said, voice strong and steady, dominant in a way Steve hadn’t ever heard him speak. “This man was attacking this omega.” He stated, loud and clear, not moving at all until one of the security officers pulled him backwards against the wall and cuffed his arms behind his back, while the other officer did exactly the same with Brock.

Steve could only watch in horror. The world turned into a haze of motion as his body realized what had just happened to him, and how much worse it could have ended.

Someone crouched down over him, obstructing his view of Bucky.

“Hey, hey there sweetheart. It’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you anymore, I promise.” It was a female beta, her voice kind and patient. Steve nodded to show he’d heard her.

“He’s telling the truth.” Steve said. “James, he’s telling the truth. Brock was going to kill me.” He made an effort to say their names. Even scared as he was, he realized he had to make clear who was helping him and who the threat was, or he might get Bucky in real trouble here.

“Alright, okay. The police will be here in a minute. You’ll have to tell them all about it, alright?” She coaxed. When she stood to offer Steve a hand up, he realized the Alphas were gone.

“Please. Please he was just helping me.” Steve pleaded. “Please don’t let them arrest James.”

“You just tell the police what happened, alright sweetheart? I’ll help you up now, and we’ll get you somewhere safe, okay?” Steve was pulled onto his feet. His head was throbbing from the sudden motion. He reached up to touch the back of his head and found it sticky with blood. He hadn’t even noticed the pain properly until now.

“Oh shit…” The officer said softly. “It’s okay, we’ve got a first aid kid. Come along.”

The terminal was busy, people blurring around them as Steve was escorted into an empty room that looked like it hadn’t been renovated since the 1980’s. The beta left him there for a minute but returned quickly with a camera and a first aid kit.

A police woman followed her into the room and introduced herself, but Steve forgot her name the moment she said it, his head aching and his body shaking with fear, not of her, but of what had just happened.

How had Brock found him? How was this possible? It felt like a nightmare, and he couldn’t wake up from it.

Ever since he’d moved to Seattle, his brain had started blurring things into a haze, a memory fog. It was an omega-typical stress response to pain and was meant to ease childbirth. It also dulled the fear and memory of abuse.

Steve found himself with his head cradled in his hands, sitting at the table and telling the police woman and her tape recorder everything he knew.

He told her about meeting Brock, about how Brock had hated his friends, how he’d ended up moving in with Brock before he was ready and how he’d then had to move away with Brock because he’d never be able to afford a place in New York again on his own because Brock had made him give up his savings account in favor of a couple’s account.

He told her about the letters he’d had to write, and how the fighting and pain had escalated. He told her what had made him run, showed her the bruises and explain how he’d run off two days earlier.

He told her about Bucky, calling him James, and hoped this wouldn’t get the Alpha in trouble. He’d just been helping.

By the time he was done speaking, Steve was utterly exhausted. His head was pounding.

“Please, I really need to make it to New York.” He said quietly, wiping at his tear stained face, puffy from crying. His body was exhausted by relieving his fear. The bright lights in the room were hurting him and it was only just dawning on him that he probably had a concussion.

“Right now, you need to be seen by a doctor.” The police woman said kindly.

“I don’t have insurance.” Steve told her quickly. “Please, just let me go. I don’t want any more trouble. Just let me and James go. I just wanna go, please.”

The police woman seemed sympathetic at least. “Okay. I hear you. Just stay here for a moment, and I’ll let you know when I know more, we have to speak to all parties. Do you want to press charges against Mr. Rumlow?” She asked.

“Only if I have to. I just want him out of my life.” Steve explained, so exhausted. He felt pathetic, begging like this, but he only wanted to get away from her, away from Brock and this station. He wanted to run, but he also needed to apologize to Bucky. He shouldn’t ever have been dragged into this.

“Alright, I’ll keep you posted. Try to relax, okay? No one can get to you here.” She assured him.

And then Steve was alone in the strange observation room, with its bright overhead light that buzzed in the quiet.

He looked up at the wall clock and realized they would miss their connecting bus.

Guilt pooled in is stomach and he couldn’t stop himself from crying. He sobbed into his sleeves, ugly and gut-deep cries of anguish and fear that rattled his entire frame. He had done this to Bucky, he’d infected this nice Alpha with his misery. And when Steve’s past had come knocking, Bucky had stepped right into the crossfire. He didn’t deserve this. Steve was exhausted and in pain. He found himself staring at the puke-green wall in a daze, like he so often did in his own bathroom at home after a bad night, sitting motionless.

Half an hour into his containment, a beta security guard he hadn’t seen before came knocking and offered to take Steve to the bathroom if he needed it.

Steve asked for Bucky, but they couldn’t tell him anything.

To his relief, he wasn’t led back into the holding cell after his break.

Instead, he was led into a waiting area and sat on a sofa that felt much better than the metal chair had. The security desk was right there, and Steve could feel them keeping an eye on him. He understood he had to wait here, though he had no idea what for.

He sat there, looking around anxiously, not sure what his fate would be from here on out. He only knew that if they handed him back to Brock after all this, he would run the second he had half a chance.

Another half hour later, the police woman who had interviewed him emerged and sat down on the seat next to his. “May I see your backpack?” She asked, and Steve realized he’d been clutching the thing like a lifeline. He handed it to her, his hands shaking, now that they had nothing to grasp.

“There.” She said softly, nodding to herself. “See here?”

Steve looked at what she was showing him, confused. She was holding the little dangle on the small zipper pocket in her hand. Steve didn’t understand.

“It’s a tracking device.” She explained. “It’s how Mr. Rumlow followed you to the bus station in Seattle and found out your route. He booked a flight to intercept you here.” She explained, removing the dongle and putting it into a little bag, labeling it with a sharpie.

“He’s been tracking me.” Steve had always wondered why Brock even let him out alone, given how much he mistrusted Steve. He should have known.

“What’s going to happen now?” He asked, utterly overwhelmed.

“Well, Mr. Rumlow is under arrest.” She explained. “We’re pressing charges for him on omega abuse and grievous bodily harm. I understand you missed your connection to New York City. I’ve spoken to the bus company and they’re happy to accommodate you for the night and to postpone your remaining tickets by one day. You can go rest up and continue your journey tomorrow.” She explained.

“They’ll be doing the same thing for Mr. Barnes, he’s been cleared, but we’re only just processing his release. It’s up to you if you want to wait here for him.” She explained. Steve nodded, he wanted to wait. He had to apologize.

She asked how to get in touch with him and seemed worried when he told her he wasn’t sure, but left Sam’s old address with her.

He didn’t really want to hear from anyone. He just wanted to be home in New York City, he just wanted to be near someone he trusted. He needed Sam. The thought almost made him cry again. If Sam was here, he’d be hugging Steve. As it was, Steve only had his backpack to hold onto.

Soon he was left alone again with instructions to head to the info desk for his tickets and accommodation. He couldn’t move though, not until he saw Bucky.

The Alpha was led out from behind the counter not 20 minutes later. Bucky had an ice pack pressed to his eye, and a wide grin on his face.

“You’ve got some fighting skills.” He told Steve, smiling so kindly at him.

Steve couldn’t help himself; he rushed towards Bucky and wrapped his arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Bucky.” He said, tears still so close to the surface that they sprung right back up again.

“Hey, no! It’s alright.” Steve felt Bucky’s arms wrap around him, though the left one made an alarming whirring noise as it moved.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, Steve. This is so not on you!” Bucky stroked up his back. It felt so damn good to be touched gently, it made a shiver run down Steve’s spine.

“Everything’s okay now. He’s not coming out of there while we’re still here.” Bucky promised Steve. “You did good, Steve. You told them the truth. They won’t let him near you. You can go home now.” Bucky assured him.

If only Steve had a home.

“It made us miss our bus.” Steve said miserably, pulling back from the embrace even though the feeling of Bucky’s warm was deeply soothing.

“Yeah, well. I was pretty tired of being on a bus anyway.” Bucky assured him. “Come on, we’ll talk to the service desk. The officers told me they’d have a place for us to stay. And we can take the same bus tomorrow.” He said, repeating what they’d told Steve as well.

Steve nodded in agreement, too exhausted to do anything but follow Bucky, who walked them to the service desk and explained what had happened. The employee behind the counter had already heard about the commotion and Steve watched as they printed fresh tickets for them both and handed Bucky a voucher for a one-night stay in the hotel right behind the station.

“Would you like your own room?” The employee asked Steve, who shook his head instinctively, then looked up at Bucky. “I… sorry. I just… you’re safe.” He explained, his every instinct screaming to not leave Bucky’s side. The Alpha was the only good and safe thing he knew right now, and he was in so much pain, he was so tired. He didn’t want to be alone.

“Are you sure? We can get separate rooms. I don’t want you to spend all night scared that I might do something.” Bucky explained, and for the first time Steve realized that what had just happened wasn’t just rolling off of Bucky either.

Steve shook his head. “There’s nothing you can do to me.” Steve told him. “I’m not scared of you, I think you’ve sufficiently proven yourself… besides, I just want to shower and sleep.” Steve admitted, and he knew he wouldn’t sleep if Bucky wasn’t there. He’d be scared Brock would come after him. Brock was still so close now.

Steve felt rank and exhausted. He could smell Brock on him. The fact that he’d found Steve, that he’d gotten to him halfway across the country had shaken Steve to his core. He didn’t even want to think about what might have happened if Bucky hadn’t intervened.

“Alright.” Bucky agreed. “But if I do anything that scares you, in any way? I want you to tell me right away, deal?”

Steve could only nod, clutching his backpack strap tightly as they walked into the cold, across the street and into the hotel lobby.

It wasn’t a fancy place, but it looked nice and clean. Steve couldn’t wait to see their room. He wanted a shower so much. He wanted to lay down on clean sheets and forget the world existed, just for a few hours. Bucky handled the check-in for them, and an elevator took their tired bodies up to the fourth floor.  
“Oh…” Steve sighed in relief when he saw a massive king-sized bed in the middle of the room. There’d be so much space for both of them.

Bucky put his duffle bag down by the small table in the corner where two armchairs stood facing each other. Steve dropped his own back by the bed and touched the sheets with longing. He knew he ought to shower before laying down on it though.

He looked up, watching Bucky take his jacket off a little awkwardly, before opening his bag and rummaging in it.

“Do you want first dibs on the shower?” Steve asked as Bucky pulled a small case from his bag and opened it.

“Nah, you go ahead. I need to fix up my arm first.” Bucky said, pulling out a screwdriver and pushing the sleeve of his sweater up to reveal where two panels that covered the internal electronics of his arm had been knocked out of alignment, near his elbow. Steve remembered the grinding nose he had heard when Bucky had hugged him earlier.

“Did that happen when you punched him?” Steve asked, moving closer to assess the damage.

“Yeah, but don’t worry, it’s an easy fix.” Bucky assured him, already setting to work. Steve’s eyes fell to the tool kit.

“Are those wire cutters?” He asked, hope rising in his chest. He’d been too embarrassed to ask for help with his predicament when he’d been interviewed, but god he wanted that cage off. “Can I borrow them?” he asked, startling Bucky into looking up.

“What do you need wire cutters for?” Bucky asked, not exactly suspicious, but perhaps more than a little concerned for Steve.

Steve bit the inside of his lips, not sure how to answer.

“Steve?” Bucky asked, turning to face him fully, putting the screwdriver down. “Listen. I know this was awful and different people have different ways of coping with trauma, but I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” He said, so earnestly and genuinely concerned that Steve could have cried again.

“No, god no, Bucky… I wasn’t.” Steve shook his head slowly, but Bucky’s expression turned doubtful and Steve couldn’t think of anything to do but to take Bucky’s normal hand and put it between his legs, so Bucky could feel his predicament.

“What-?!”

“He put this on me a couple of days before I ran off.” Steve explained. “Please. Can I use the wire cutters?” He repeated, exhaling sharply and letting go of Bucky’s hand. The Alpha pulled it back quickly, handing Steve the cutter, handle-first.

Bucky’s eyes were wide with shock, but his voice was soft, too soft and took kind for this situation when he spoke. “Go ahead.”

Steve took the cutters and rushed into the bathroom, locking himself in. He dropped his pants and sat down on the closed toilet lid, panting. He wanted this thing off.

His hands were shaking, but he pulled himself together. He had to be steady now.

Carefully, he pushed one end of the cutter under one of the thick metal bars that trapped his cock. He squeezed with all his might, his hand shaking with the effort.

Nothing happened.

The cutters didn’t even dent the metal. Steve howled in devastated frustration, putting the cutters down and sobbing into his hands.

Damn him! Fucking damn him!

There was a light knock on the door.

“Steve. Are you hurt?” Bucky’s voice carried through the wood, almost as though he was in the room with Steve.

“No.” Steve called back quickly. “No, just… it won’t come off.” He explained miserably.

“What kind of lock to you have on it? Like the kind with a small key you’d put on your gym locker?” Bucky asked, and Steve examined the lock that hung between his cock and balls.

“Yeah, I think he actually had a second one of these in his gym bag.” He said, tears sliding down his cheeks. He was so tired. Why couldn’t anything just work?

This was humiliating, and Steve didn’t know how much more he could take.

He heard Bucky shuffle outside the door before he spoke again.

“I… uhm… I could probably pick a lock like that.” Bucky said. “If you want me to try?”

There was no end to his indignity. The thought of Bucky having to handle his rank, unwashed cock, chafed and swollen in patches where the bars had rubbed his skin raw over the last four days was horrible. And still, Steve found himself getting up and unlocking the door. He opened it just enough to look at Bucky who looked just as conflicted as Steve felt.

“I’m kind of a mess down there.” He warned Bucky softly.

“That’s okay, Steve. I promise, I don’t mind. I won’t do anything but try and get it off.” Bucky sounded so assuring that Steve found himself nodding. Better Bucky than some doctor or whoever else Steve might have ended up having to ask for help.

He sat back down on the closed toilet lid, shifting uncomfortably. Bucky came in a few seconds later with the rest of his toolkit. Steve watched him select a very small thin and hooked metal device and a straight one, before setting the rest aside on the sink. He got on his knees in front of Steve and Steve opened his legs slowly, mortified.

Steve hid his face in his hands after a moment. He couldn’t watch as Bucky took his caged cock in hand and lifted it to get to the lock underneath. He felt Bucky shift his grip until he could clasp just the lock.

There was a bit of tugging, but in the grand scheme of Steve’s existence, it didn’t really register as painful. Then came the sound of metal on metal. He could feel the tools sliding into the key hole somehow. Then something twisted, something turned.

Steve gasped when he felt something give, and the sound of the lock springing open was loud in the silent room.

“Oh my god.” He reached down, taking off the lock and opening the cage, dropping it onto the tiles and kicking it away from him as Bucky averted his eyes and looked anywhere but at Steve’s naked lower body.

“Thank you. Shit, Bucky. Thank you so much!” Steve gasped, quickly covering himself by pulling his pants up. It felt so good to feel fabric against his cock again, to feel Brock’s physical hold on him gone from his body.

“Why don’t you take the first shower.” Bucky suggested, getting up, a pleased happy smile on his face. “You need to get the blood off you, and you deserve to rest after all this.” He told Steve.

“Thank you! Really.” Steve watched Bucky leave the bathroom and didn’t hesitate to strip out of his clothes as soon as the door was closed.

He turned the water on hot and used the complimentary hotel bath products to scrub himself from top to bottom, feeling free for the first time in years. Steve avoided the mirror when he got out of the shower and dried off, wrapping himself in one of the bathrobes before returning to the bedroom.

“All yours.” He told Bucky, indicating the bathroom. “Is your arm okay?” He asked, noticing Bucky had taken it off and left it on the table.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just dislodged a couple of plates.” Bucky assured him, smiling a little too proudly at the memory of how hard he’d hit Brock.

“Good, I’m glad.” Steve said honestly. “That thing is too pretty to break against an ugly mug like his.”

He hoped the police had really done as they had promised. He didn’t want to see Brock again, and he didn’t want him to get his hands on any other omega to do the same to them.

“You’re damn right about that.” Bucky said, grabbing his bag and heading into the bathroom. “Mind if I toss that thing?” He asked, indicating the cage on the floor.

“I guess burning it isn’t an option. … The cleaners are gonna have a field day if they find it.” Steve mused. “Yeah, toss it.” He agreed. He didn’t want to see that thing again.

While Bucky was in the bathroom, Steve dressed in clothes to sleep in quickly before crawling under the heavy covers. He was so damn tired, that he didn’t even manage to stay awake until Bucky re-emerged from the bathroom.

Steve only woke again in darkness when his bladder protested his continued sleep. It took him a long moment to figure out where he was, but the gleam of Bucky’s metal shoulder in the moonlight helped him catch up with what had happened. Everything was well. Or at least, as well as anything could be right now.

He got up quietly, tiptoeing into the bathroom. The toilet made a mighty ruckus when he flushed it a couple of minutes later, and he knew he’d find Bucky awake when he left the bathroom.

“I’m sorry.” He said softly, turning off the bathroom light.

“It’s fine.” Bucky assured him, his voice rough with sleep. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better now.” Steve replied honestly, climbing back into the bed. “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me Bucky, really.” He sat on the bed cross-legged, covering his lap with a blanket to stay warm.

Bucky sat up too, and Steve realized what he’d seen shining in the moonlight had been Bucky’s empty shoulder socket. Bucky hadn’t worn his arm to bed. Steve remembered him saying he didn’t like to sleep in it.

“You don’t have to thank me. What I did is what any decent person would have done.” Bucky’s voice was so pleasant in the dark. Steve closed his eyes enjoying the rush of being near someone who was safe for him.

“Maybe… but you’re the one who did it, and I don’t know what would have happened to me, if you hadn’t been there today. He literally came to drag me back.” Steve knew that for sure. He sighed. “At least he thinks the pup isn’t his.” Steve added, stroking his belly. “So, I don’t think he’ll come challenge my custody.”

“Is it his?” Bucky asked, and Steve nodded sadly, then quickly shook his head.

“No.” He added with determination. “No, it’s only mine.” He decided, keeping his hand on his belly protectively. He looked up at Bucky to see him smiling.

“Damn right it is.” Bucky agreed. “You’ll make a wonderful parent.” He assured Steve, and he sounded so convinced that Steve almost believed it too.

“I hope so.” He agreed quietly. “Won’t be easy all on my own, but if I can make it work, I will.” He promised himself and his pup.

“Are you going home to family?” Bucky asked. Steve couldn’t help but notice how pretty his eyes looked in the moonlight. They were so unlike Brock’s. His old Alpha looked almost demonic in the dark.

“I hope so. Well, family in spirit anyway. I’ve got some friends in New York. I just need to try and find them.” He explained.

“But you know where you’re going when we get there?” Bucky asked, and Steve couldn’t help but appreciate his concern.

“Yeah, I still remember my friend Sam’s last address.” He assured Bucky. “I’m gonna figure something out either way.” He assured the Alpha. Steve laid back down, and Bucky followed his example.

“If you get there, and you can’t find him. I want you to give me a call. Can you do that?” Bucky looked very earnest and it made something in Steve’s chest feel warm.

“Okay, but … I don’t think you’ll want a pregnant unmated omega weighing you down in your new life. You only just got off duty, don’t pick up another one now, just because you think you have to.” Steve warned him.

Bucky reached over with his remaining hand, linking his fingers with Steve’s.

“I promise I won’t do anything I’m going to regret if you promise me the same thing.” Bucky told him. His words settled something inside of Steve. He could promise that.

“I promise.” Steve said quietly, squeezing Bucky’s fingers between his own. “I want to stay with you until we get to New York.” He said after a moment. “You make me feel really safe, and I want that right now.” He explained, smiling when Bucky smiled at him.

“I thought that was a given anyway.” Bucky assured him.

“Good.” Steve said quietly, before a thought occurred to him. “You didn’t get hurt today, right? Except for the arm and the shiner?” He asked.

Bucky shook his head. “I’m fine.” He promised. “What about you? There was blood on the wall in the terminal.” He said.

Steve nodded. “Knocked my head there. It’s okay though. I’ve had a lot worse.”

“That’s kind of the opposite of okay.” Bucky pointed out, and Steve sighed.

“Well, it’s okay by my current standards.” He said. “You’re kind of in the process of raising them, you know?”

Bucky turned his face into his pillow, chuckling a little. “Well, that’s kind of you.” He said, smiling into the fabric.

Steve watched him with a fond expression. “You’ve just been a really good travel companion.” He said. “I’m so glad I met you.”

Steve felt so safe, even though he was in bed with an Alpha strong enough to overpower Brock. Bucky wasn’t scary. Something inside Steve fundamentally understood that Bucky wasn’t a threat to him. It was easy to fall asleep again, holding Bucky’s hand.

In the morning, it was Bucky who woke him up, gently touching Steve’s shoulder.

“Hey, I thought we could go grab a proper breakfast before we get on the bus to Chicago?” Bucky suggested and Steve’s stomach responded to that idea with a mighty growl.

“It’s okay.” He said quickly to cover the sound. “I’ve still got some bread.”

“Yeah, no, that’s not happening. I saw a diner across the street by the station, and I’m buying you a lumberjack breakfast.” Bucky told him.

“I can’t keep making you buy me foo-“

“Steve, I’d love to see you try to make me do anything I don’t want to do. Come on. Bathroom’s all yours. I’ve already showered.” Bucky playfully pulled the covers back, making Steve shriek with surprised laughter.

“Alright, okay. I surrender.” He got up, heading into the steamy bathroom with his bag.

After being away from Brocks’ grasp for almost three days now, his body already felt much better overall, notwithstanding the recent damage.

The hot shower did him good, and he actually found himself in an excellent mood by the time he joined Bucky again. They checked out of the hotel before heading to the diner Bucky had spotted.

The Alpha hadn’t been kidding, he ordered Steve a breakfast worth of a lumberjack and Steve ate most of it, hungry from the long journey and yesterday’s ordeal. Even though his head still hurt, the encounter felt far away after a safe night of good sleep.

This time, they were the first passengers on the bus, and they took up the front row to give themselves a clear view of the amazing countryside they’d be passing on the way to Chicago. From there, a different bus would take them to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they’d be switching to their final bus to New York City.

It was another 36 hours of travel, and while Steve knew he’d get uncomfortable again, he also knew his body was healing and that he’d be safe with Bucky. He decided to do his best to enjoy the journey. When would he ever see the country like this again?

After when they’d been through, a boundary seemed to have been removed between them. Steve didn’t hesitate to lean against Bucky to sleep, and Bucky covered Steve and himself with his jacket when the air on the bus got chilly. The first few hours passed in a trance as the knowledge that he might be well and truly rid of Brock forever slowly started to sink in.

Bucky was warm against his side and the landscape was breathtaking. He ended up taking a painkiller in the later afternoon when his body began to protest his current position, but by the time they made it to Milwaukee, and Bucky decided they needed something for dinner, the pain had become bearable again.

It was Bucky who fell asleep on Steve’s shoulder on the final leg of their journey to Chicago. Steve gently scented the Alpha’s hair, committing his scent to memory, it was a subconscious pack-bonding motion and he couldn’t help it.

In Chicago, Bucky found a payphone to call his sister to let her know he wouldn’t be in NYC in the evening but would instead be arriving a day later. Steve smiled when he heard Bucky tell her that he’d made a friend along the way.

The drive from Chicago to Pittsburgh was a 14-hour long journey that seemed absolutely endless. The night was pitch black around them, and they both tried to sleep and read, but at this point, the discomfort outweighed the pleasure of any distraction. It wasn’t until halfway through the night, that the row behind them freed up as passengers disembarked at their destination.

They decided to spread out, with Bucky taking the less exposed seat in the back and Steve spreading out in their original seats.

He missed Bucky’s warmth, but the need to lay down and actually rest his head on a horizontal surface outweighed his need for extra body heat.

A bloodcurdling scream startled Steve awake hours later, followed by the driver hitting the breaks so hard he almost sent Steve flying off his row of seats.

There was scrambling behind him, and all the lights went on. Steve realized it had been Bucky screaming.

“Buck!” He scrambled up and into the row behind him. Bucky’s face was distorted in terror, his eyes flitting around trying to make sense of where he was.

“Bucky, it’s alright. It’s okay!” Steve pushed himself into the row and pulled Bucky into a hug.

“What’s going on back there?” The driver called back.

“This guy just started screaming.” Someone nearby answered.

“He’s a veteran, it’s just a nightmare.” Steve responded, the words shutting down the murmurs. “Everything’s alright, he only just got back is all.” The tone in which people whispered turned a lot warmer.

“Alright, are we good to continue?” The driver asked, now much less alarmed.

“Yeah, we’re fine, thank you.” Steve said, stroking Bucky’s back. “Everything’s fine.” He assured Bucky softly. The Alpha had buried his face in Steve’s neck and was panting, clearly still scared and unable to calm himself.

“It’s okay, Bucky, everything’s going to be fine.” Steve promised, sitting down with him and keeping a tight hold of his Alpha. “It happens, Everyone’s okay.” Steve cooed softly, listening to the ragged sound of Bucky’s breathing as it slowly evened out while Steve’s own heart continued to race.

He nuzzled Bucky’s hair, whispering to him softly.

By the time Bucky was calm, Steve was unwilling to let him go at all. Despite the discomfort of sitting crammed like this, he stayed in Bucky’s row, curling up with him and holding his hand until the sun came up.

They were both quiet when they boarded the final bus in Pittsburgh, neither of them feeling awake enough for breakfast. Their departure from the Pittsburgh station marked the beginning of the last 11-hour leg of their endless journey home.

Steve wasn’t sure how he felt about that. The buses were hell, but Bucky had grown so comfortable and familiar to him, that he wasn’t sure how he would cope alone.

He didn’t know what awaited him in New York City, didn’t know if he’d find himself alone or among friends. A part of him wanted to cling to Bucky for safety, but he knew that wasn’t fair to Bucky either. That didn’t stop him from holding Bucky’s hand throughout the first few hours of the last bus ride, while Bucky looked out the window with a haunted expression on his face.

They made it all the way to Philadelphia before Bucky raised their linked hands to his chest and turned to look at Steve.

“I’ve only got you for three more hours.” He said. “And I don’t want to ask you for anything, but I want you to let Becca drive you to your friend’s place. I can’t go home if I don’t know for sure you’ve made it somewhere safe.” Bucky told him. “Please say yes.” He asked quietly, looking at Steve with a tired, pleading expression.

Steve nodded, tears springing into his eyes with relief. He’d been so scared to show up at Sam’s place alone, just to find a stranger there.

If wouldn’t be so scary if Bucky was there with him.

“I’d like that.” He said softly, leaning closer and resting their foreheads together. Bucky nodded, pressing a kiss to Steve’s temple before settling back into his seat.

Steve was already feeling teary, but the sight of New York City’s evening skyline coming into view in the distance really made him lose his composure, sending tears cascading down his cheeks. He was home, he was finally back home again.

Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve’s shoulder, but didn’t tell him not to cry. Bucky’s own eyes had a wet gleam to them as well.

The bus arrived and as soon as they disembarked, Steve heard an excited “Bucky!!” echoing through the bus terminal, before a small brunette Alpha launched herself at Bucky and the two of them clung to each other tightly.

He didn’t hear what Bucky said to her, but his tears spoke volumes. Steve, oddly, didn’t feel like he was intruding on a private moment.

“Becca, this is Steve. Steve, my little sister, Rebecca Barnes.” Bucky introduced them.

Becca was just as stunning as her brother, just in a petite female form. Steve could have picked them as siblings out of a line-up. He shook her hand, smiling.

“It’s lovely to meet you. You have an amazing brother.” Steve told her.

“We gotta take Steve to his friend’s place on the way home, okay?” Bucky interrupted before Becca could say anything back. It was phrased as a question, but it was clear that it wasn’t really one.

“Yeah, of course. Where to?” She asked, as she led them to her car. Steve got in the back seat, telling her Sam’s address.

“My god…” He exclaimed, sinking into the soft leather seats. They felt like salvation after four days on those buses.

“Nice, right?” Becca beamed and set course towards Sam’s last address.

Now that they were finally here, the terrifying reality of Steve’s situation kicked back in again. What if Sam wasn’t there?

They arrived at the little brownstone home way too quickly, and Steve felt his legs wobble as he got out.

To his surprise, Bucky got out right along with him.

“You look scared.” He said, squeezing Steve’s shoulder gently. Steve could only nod. There was no denying it. “It’s gonna be alright.” Bucky assured him. “If he’s not here, then you’re coming home with us.” He told Steve. “But if he is here, I want you to call me, okay? I want you to call me as soon as you’re ready to, because I need to see you again, alright?”

He handed Steve a piece of paper, and Steve looked down at it.

‘Rebecca Barnes – Attorney at Law’, with an email address and a phone number.

“I don’t have a phone yet, but I’m gonna get one. In the meantime, just call Becca. Okay?”

Steve nodded, holding onto the piece of paper and stepping in close to hug Bucky as tightly as he could, inhaling the Alpha’s comforting scent.

“I really wanna see you again too.” Steve promise, nodding against Bucky’s shoulder. He pulled back with a heavy heart, tucking the card away safely and wiping his stupid tears off.

“You got this, Steve. We’re right here if you need us.” Bucky promised, opening the car door and getting back into the passenger seat from which he could see the door clearly.

Steve shouldered his bag, bracing himself as he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell, automatically buzzing out the same annoying staccato of three interrupted buzzes that he’d always used on Sam’s door without even thinking about it.

After a second, he could hear footsteps running down the stairs, and only seconds later he was greeted by Sam’s wonderful familiar face, looking at Steve like he was seeing a ghost.

“Steve! Thank goodness!” Sam wrapped him into a hug, engulfing Steve in his warm familiar touch.

“Sam.” Steve clung to him desperately, all the fear and anguish of the past days bubbling over in his chest as he clutched fistfuls of Sam’s sweater. “Sammy… It’s been… it’s not… it’s been bad.” He choked out.

“I know, I know, Steve. I got that letter. It’s okay, whatever happened. It’s gonna be okay, you’re home. It’ll be alright.” Sam’s voice assuring him, Sam, holding him, it made Steve sob with relief. He was so happy.

“Those guys friends of yours?” Sam asked, and Steve knew he had to have spotted Bucky and his sister in the driveway.

“Yeah, really good friends.” Steve assured him, pulling back and giving the Barnes siblings a thumbs-up.

Bucky’s smile was wide as he raised his hand to his face with his thumb and pinky out while mouthing ‘Call me!” at Steve.

Steve nodded, crossing his heart for Bucky to see before following Sam inside.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Please let me know if you liked it, comments and kudos keep me afloat in this difficult time!


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